Asparagus-buncher



` (No Modsl.)

' E. WATTS.

ASPAEAGUS BUNGHER.

No. 576,926. Patented Feb. 9, 1897.

m: cams PET:

UNITED STATES PATENT '()EEICE ELIAS VATTS, OF KEYPORT, NENV JERSEY.

ASPARAGUS-BUNCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 576,926, dated February 9, 189'?.

I Application iiled J' une 25, 1896. Serial No. 596,888. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concer/.-

Beit known that I, ELIAS WATTS, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Keyport, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Asparagus-Buncher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toasparagus-bunchers, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the construction shown and described in Letters Patent No. 459,426, granted to me September 15, 1891.

The object of the present invention is to construct the asparagus-launching machine in such manner that the distance longitudinally between the buncher arms or jaws may be increased or diminished according to the length of the stalks or the length or height of the bunches to be formed.

The invention also aims to construct the bunching arms in such manner that their meeting extremities will engage each other and interlock, so as to insure the proper alinement of the arms or jaws, thereby facilitating the severing of the butt-ends of the stalks by forming an even and smooth guide for the knife; also, to provide the arms or jaws near their meeting extremities with guards for facilitating the introduction of the stalks between the jaws.

With the above object in view the invention i consists in certain novel features and details of construction, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure. 1 is a perspective view of the improved asparagus-buncher. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same, taken about centrally. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken adjacent to the rear end of the device. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the meeting extremities of the bunching arms or jaws, showing the method of their engagement.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the base or main body of the device, provided with the laterally-projecting feet 2, and also having near its front end a standard 3, to which is secured a substantially semicircular andi stationary bunching jaw or arm 3f. The hase 1 is provided at the rear with a longitudinally-extending shank 4, one side of whichis undercut or beveled in dovetailed form, as shown at 5. Upon the shank 4 is slidingly mounted a standard 6, having formed in 'its b'ase an opening 7, of dovetailed form, corresponding to the crosssectional shape of the shank 4. The standard 6 is also provided with a rearwardly-projecting'flange 8, which embraces the shank 4 and forms a longitudinally-extending bearing for the standard G upon the shank 4. A set-screw 9 passes through the standard 6 and bears against the shank 4 for holding the standard at any desired adjustment.

10 designates a pair of pivoted jaws, the same being fulcrumed intermediate their ends on the standards 3 and 6, above described.

At their ends these jaws are slotted to receive clamping-bolts 11, the same also passing through the slotted base portions of extension-jaws 12, similarly to the patent above referred to. The stationary jaw and the extension or pivoted jaw of one or both pairs are formed one with a V-shaped end and the other with a V-shaped notch in its end, so

that when the V-shaped extremity 13 of one jawstrikes against the end of the opposing jaw and enters the V-shaped notch 14 therein both of the jaws will be brought into the proper alinement, so that the side edges of the jaws will afford a smooth and even rest for the knife by which the butt-ends of the stalks are severed. Each of the jaws is also provided adjacent to its extremity with a radially-disposed guard 15, extending outward and upward therefrom, and said guards serve in the rapid introduction of the stalks between the jars to prevent the stalks from sliding off the outer surfaces thereof.

The pivoted jaws are provided with camshaped extensions 16 at their lower ends, and these extensions are adapted to be engaged by the longitudinally-projecting arms 17 of a lever 18, fulcrumed on the base of the buncher, as shown. The longitudinally-adjustable standard 6 has a rearwardly-projecting stem 19, upon which is .mounted a longitudinally-adj ustable gage plate or disk IOO 20. At the front end the base is provided with a small horizontal shelf upon which is placed and secured a wooden block 21, forming' a rest for the butts of the stalks and a stop for the knife when severing the stalks.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that provision is made for increasing or diminishing the distance longitudinally between the sets of bunching-jaws g also, for insuring the proper alinement of the fixed and movable jaws of each set and for facilitating the feeding of the stalks between the jaws.

It will be understood that the features hereinabove particularly referred to are susceptible of changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, which may accordingly be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

I'Iavingthus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- I. In an asparagus-buneher, the base, alining pairs of bunching-jaws, means for relatively adjusting the pairs of jaws to vary the distance therebetween, and a gage-plate supported at one side of one pair of jaws and havingv an adjustment independent of the adjustment for varying the distance between the two pairs of jaws, substantially as set forth.

2. In an asparagus-buncher, the base provided at one endwith a longitudinal shank eX- tension 4, a fixed pair of semicircular bunching-jaws mounted at one end of the base, a movable pair of similar jaws arranged in line with the iiXed pair of jaws and supported by a standard having at its lower end a iianged slide embracing the shank extension 4 of the base, a clamping device for said iianged slide, a horizontal stem fitted to the standard of the movable pair of jaws, and a longitudinallyadjustable gage-plate mounted on said stem, substantially as set forth.

3. In an asparagus-buncher, a pair of semicircular bunehing-jaws.provided with an interlocking connection at their contiguous eX- tremities, and adjacent to said extremities with radially-disposed guard projections 15, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have here'to affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELIAS VATTS. lVitn esses:

A. WALLING, Jr., .IosEPHINE A. OG-DEN. 

